1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an agent for improving the reduced functions of organs caused by inhibited blood circulation. More particularly, the present invention relates to an agent for improving the reduced functions of organs caused by inhibited blood circulation, which contains a particular organogermanium compound as an effective component.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order for all organs of a living body to exhibit and maintain their functions, it is absolutely necessary that each of these organs be provided with a sufficient amount of blood. Accordingly, when the blood circulation to organs is inhibited for any reason, the organs as well as their functions inevitably have serious disorders.
A typical example of inhibited blood circulation to organs is a case in which a particular organ is separated from a living body for transplant.
That is, when organ separation and organ transplant are conducted at two different places which are geographically apart from each other, an organ separated from an organ donor is contained in a special vessel for storage, transferred and then transplanted. During the transfer, the separated organ is immersed in a special solution and kept at low temperatures but blood circulation to the organ is apparently inhibited. Accordingly, some reduction in functions of the organ during the transfer is anticipated.
Reduced functions of organs due to inhibited blood circulation are not restricted to separated organs. They are also seen in unseparated organs within a living body and, in the case of kidney, often appear as a disorder called "renal insufficiency".
Renal insufficiency can be largely classified into acute renal insufficiency and chronic renal insufficiency. Both insufficiencies refer to a state in which the kidney does not function normally. When renal insufficiency develops into a serious disorder, it takes a form of uremia. Uremia appears as hypouresis, hyperazotemia, hypertension, edema, various digestive system disorders (nausea, emesis, diarrhea, anorexia), anemia, bleeding, various neuraxial disorders (unrest, spasm, lethargy), etc. When uremia is left untreated, it leads to death in some cases.
Acute renal insufficiency is caused by shock (e.g. circulation insufficiency as mentioned above), drugs, etc. and chronic renal insufficiency is caused by glomerulonephritis or by chronic renal disorder derived from diabetes, drugs, etc. Therefore, in the treatment of acute renal insufficiency, the causes must be removed primarily. The only other treatment is to wait for the natural recovery of kidney function. In the treatment for chronic renal insufficiency, when the insufficiency is caused by disorder of the urinary organs, the causes must be removed primarily by operation.
As mentioned above, renal insufficiency, when left untreated, may develop into uremia which may lead to death. Therefore, it is necessary not only to remove the cause of the renal insufficiency but also to effect a wide range of treatments for renal insufficiency.
Currently, however, only hypertension, hyperphosphatemia, protein intake, etc. are being controlled for the treatment of chronic renal insufficiency. For the treatment of acute renal insufficiency, the administration of a diuretic, calcium antagonist, etc. is being tried, but the effect is questionable. It is said that there is yet no effective and universal method for internally treating either acute renal insufficiency or chronic renal insufficiency.
Thus, the reduced function of organs caused by inhibited blood circulation have heretofore been treated only by removing the cause and waiting for the natural restoration of the original functions. There exists no method for actively preventing the reduction in organ function or actively restoring the reduced functions.